New Wheels

The boys on Muffins

Well, I broke down or got brave, and rented a motorbike.  I was having a hard time being dependent on a driver to take me anywhere and some places were just too far to ride a bicycle to or took too long to get to.  We have named it "Muffins".  In fact Tom suggested the name even before he heard me complain that it is part pink.  I hope a sweet, cute name will secure a sweet ride.  So far, I have only rode it up and down my path a couple of times to try to get a feel for it before venturing out into traffic.  I think with a couple of rides outside of town, on quiet country lanes, I will be ready to actually go to the grocery store or to a restaurant or a friend's house.  You won't see me carrying a passenger who is carrying a 32" TV on their lap as I saw this morning when dropping the kids off at school.  


The update of Muffins is that I got in a minor accident on my second ride and have been a bit slow regaining my confidence.  It was a rainy day and I was on a small cobblestone path that is quite slippery.  Another motorbike was coming so I moved out of the middle of the road and into a slippery patch along the side and the bike slid right out from under me.  I skinned my knee and broke my flip flop, but it was pretty minor damage.  Another passerby helped me pick Muffins up and I finished my trip to the grocery store with no more problems.  Rock took over the riding for a bit and has a new appreciation for Muffins.  He has also braved some short trips with the boys which they both seem to enjoy.  Overall we appreciate the added freedom and are taking it slow.  Sunday seems to be the quietest day on the roads so we do a grocery run and take care of errands. 


We are also having our first major power outage.  There was a huge wind storm yesterday and branches were flying down all over the place.  We have been without power since yesterday afternoon.  Doing bedtime in the dark was fun last night with candles and flashlights.  I am afraid the chicken curry in the refrigerator may have to get tossed and my phone battery is about to die but minor casualties.   Mostly, we have just been enjoying the experience.  Our water is dependent on a pump though so it means no running water.  I am still baffled how Wayan was able to wash the dishes.  Maybe she used filtered water, but the dishes we left in the sink since there was no water have been magically cleaned and put away.  


We had a minor hiccup earlier this week when I found out that Waterbom, the water park that Owen is going to have his birthday party at, is closed for maintenance and cleaning on the day we picked and was on the invitations.  It was a staff development day which made it perfect because I thought it would be less crowded but oh well.  Keep in mind though, that when Owen is asked, "what is your favorite thing about Bali?" he answers, "Waterbom" and he hasn't even been there.  Therefore, I thought he would be majorly bummed to have to wait 2 more weeks.  We quickly brainstormed something else fun we could do that day and found out that the Bali Marine and Safari Park also has a small waterpark plus lots of animals.  We decided to book a night at the Safari Park Lodge and let him bring one friend.  When I told him, he was totally fine with it and said, "That isn't bad news Mom. That is good news.  Now I get to go to the waterslides twice." 


We have also found that buying toys is quite challenging.  I asked our driver, Gede, if there was a toy store in Ubud and he responded, "What are toys?" His english is very good and he has a 3 year daughter so this was a bit surprising.  It says a lot though.  Balinese kids don't really play with toys, except balls and kites.  They might make a toy out of sticks or bamboo but their houses aren't filled with plastic trinkets or toys from China.  Although, please note that Mattel is made in Indonesia and most Barbies are made here but it is almost impossible to buy one here.  After asking more, we found out that the closest toy stores are in Seminyak, a hub of expats.  With more thought, we realized Owen doesn't really play with toys much either so we will get creative. A couple books, some audiobook downloads and some fun trips.